In a new Economist/YouGov poll, respondents were asked “Do you think the government is accurately reporting the number of people who have died from COVID-19 or do you think more people have died from the virus or fewer people have died from the virus?”
A clear plurality — 39 percent — said that more people have died than the government has reported, while just 17 percent said fewer have died. Only 21 percent said the government’s numbers are accurate. That basic result — that a plurality say more people have died — was consistent across every demographic category. It’s also consistent with reporting on excess deaths that aren’t being included in the official death toll.
But among Republican primary voters, a whopping 47 percent said that fewer people have died, and only 12 percent said that more people have died than have been reported.
The NY Times did an analysis that suggests that the coronavirus death count is underreported by thousands.
